Many entrepreneurial ventures are created based on life experiences, trends and hobbies. For Victoria, her desire to launch Victorious Caps was based on her faith!

A Little About Victoria and Victorious Caps…

I am a 24-year-old young entrepreneur. I am born in Montreal and raised in Ottawa by Congolese parents, which makes me a 1^st generation Canadian. I am a self-proclaimed ambivert (70% extroverted) with a type ‘A’ personality who loves cheese despite being lactose intolerant. In 2016, I obtained my bachelor’s degree in International Business from uOttawa, which fueled my interest of starting a business of my own.

From an early age, I knew I wanted to be my own boss. I was a little bossy and always had a strong influence on people so naturally, I knew that someday, I would be the head of a business but just not my own. In the past, starting my own business was something I used to tell myself I would never do because of the fear of failure.

The message that inspired the creation of Victorious Caps was not initially intended to turn into a business idea. In fact it started by a Word that saved me from the many things I was going through in my personal life. I was going through depression and needed encouragement and a desperate revival and for that, I wanted a practical reminder of my identity. At first, that reminder was my name, Victoria, which means victory. I used to look at myself in the mirror and yell out “who are you” and I would reply “victorious”. I eventually designed graphic posters with encouraging quotes and used them as screen savers for my phone. I thought of all the people who also tend to forget that they are victorious and Victorious Caps as you know it was born.

I created the brand to remind this generation that despite what things seem like, whether you are failing at something, losing, depressed or feeling hopeless, your situation will not remain like that forever. At some point, you will defeat your enemies and will rise above them victoriously thanks to your faith in Christ Jesus, the one who fights for us all and gives us victory over our enemies (Deuteronomy 20:4).

My desire was to create a brand that was authentic and true. I have seen so many brands and businesses out there, and I’m sure you all know a few as well, who have a message fabricated merely for the sake of having a message. I find it very hard very hard to connect with those brands because it seems that the people behind those brands do not even believe in their own message and are only in it for profit. That is not what I wanted for this brand.

Victorious Caps is faith based because I myself am faith based. Jesus Christ is the foundation of everything I am and for that, He is the foundation and the reason for everything that I do. I believe 100% in the message because it is my own testimony. I do not think I would be this passionate about the brand if it was not a true and honest reflection of who I am. This makes it easy to keep elaborating on the victorious theme as well as finding ideas for new products because I live out this message daily.

 

Favourite Thing About Being A Millennial Entrepreneur…

What I love most about being a millennial entrepreneur is how connected we all are through the internet and social media platforms. When used effectively, the internet can be a very positive and powerful tool. You can network and make connections through DM’s now, like wow. The interaction, the support and the discoveries you can make on social media are crazy! There are so many communities out there to support your talent. I mean like if you just go on Instagram and hashtag #streetwear you can scroll for days and find so much inspiration. It’s amazing! I can’t even imagine being a brand business owner without the internet or social media. It’s my primary way to connect with customers and suppliers and thanks to these digital avenues, Victorious Caps has customers from the US, France and Africa… my small local brand has become an international brand, just like that.

Challenges of Being a Millennial Entrepreneur…

Honestly, the biggest challenge for me as a young entrepreneur is not having enough resources to do what I want to do. Even though “that’s life”… having many dreams and ambitions but being limited by time and money is hard to accept. I go to a 9-5 job daily that I don’t particularly like, to fund my business and my dreams. The time I invest in someone else’s company is hard to accept because I wish I could use it to build my dreams. I have no other choice but to work through it for now because I have other financial responsibilities such as student loans to pay… all part of being a millennial.

The best way to overcome this discouragement is by constantly remembering who I am, being patient with the process, being grateful for my blessings and believing that God has a plan and purpose for me.

Advice To Millennials Interested In Starting Businesses in Fashion & Apparel…

The advice I give to everyone including myself, is to have no fear. Fear is so real and so strong. It will kill your dreams before they even see the light of day. Fear of people, fear of failure and fear of greatness too. Many are afraid of what friends and family might think of a business idea and if you stay stuck on that you will never start. I was afraid of what my mom would think of me investing so much money in my brand, but it turns out she loves it and is super supportive. Surround yourself with people who you know love and support you, it is very important. Fear of failure is another one and it’s probably the number one cause for people not wanting to start their own business. It was my reason for a long time, and I overcame it by believing in myself and in my potential. I trusted the passion that God put in the inside of me and just took a leap of faith. Fear of greatness is probably something you may encounter after launching your business. You might be happy and content with all that you have accomplished but you have to remember to keep pushing the boundaries, keep hustling and never stop wanting to be great.

A Brick and Mortar Future For Victorious Caps…

No, I really don’t think so. Today, online stores are thriving and offer the same level of service as brick and mortar establishments. Victorious Caps is committed as a brand, to offering our customers the diversity, comfort and convenience they could find at their local store. We do hope to do a couple of pop-up shops in the future & feature our products in collaboration with boutiques.

Cool Project, Events or Products Coming Up For Victorious…

Yes! I have some new summer caps dropping soon that will feature in a new message that has inspired me so much these past couple of months and I believe it is going to do the same for you too.

Find out more about Victoria and Victorious at https://www.victoriouscaps.com/new-index/. F